Alcohol
by UrKid
Summary: There was a period of time after Mello left that nothing was right between the two top prodigies in the House. One could say they were depressed. // MattxNear
1. Ethanol

First of all, I'd like to warn you that this is probably not the easiest text to read. So no need to tell me that x) Second, this is the fic that I've done actively for the longest period ever, so I'm very proud of this. Admittedly, I've done what... one sentence per week. But after near a precise year, it is finally ready :D Although now it's in three chapters, for I thought it to be more reader-friendly. Aaand absolutely nothing from Death Note belongs to me. Thank you. You are allowed to review...

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_There was a period of time after Mello left that nothing was right between the two top prodigies in the House. One could say they were depressed. To the other children it was rather obvious, as was that it was because of Mello leaving. Not that the adults were exactly blind to this fact either, their behavior being quite different from the past. The reasons were clear to everyone, to both children and adults: Matt had lost a friend, Near had lost all competition. Matt was lonely, Near was unchallenged. Quite simple really, quite expected, quite fitting to the common pattern. Yet no one was prepared enough to fix it._

These days Matt never attended any classes. He would sit in his room all day long, playing hours of videogames or sleep. He spent the majority of his time to sleep. He slept long in the mornings and went to bed early in the evenings. He was actually prone to lie down wherever he was: tables, chairs, staircases, carpets, and quite often, with the lack of anything to lie on, he just threw himself on the bare floor. Usually he didn't actually fall asleep, only lie there lifelessly. And when someone came into the room, he'd jump up and spring away. Usually behind locked doors where some said he would continue his mooching.

Though, he always locked the door wherever he was. It was one thing that no one really saw him these days, but that he locked every door that happened to separate him from the other people at the time, that was another thing. He even locked people outside whenever possible. Technically it didn't matter. Matt always opened the door when it was knocked. It did no one no harm, except maybe to those whose nature was calling or the ones that happened to carry a very low temperance. No one was stupid at the House, so no one suspected that is was about being mean or being jocular, nor was it because of the thrill of locking people inside rooms or wherever. Everyone knew it was about locking himself away from other people.

And even though locking the doors to get away from people, but opening them straight away when people wanted in, didn't seem to make any sense, it did. The plan wasn't to isolate himself. The plan was to prepare himself when others were coming. He wasn't afraid of people. He was willing to face them, talk to them if they wanted to. But for a reason unknown to the people at the House, he wanted to prepare himself for that facing. Now there are two occasions when you do this: one, the person you're about to face is someone important to you, close to your heart or business important, and you need to make a good impression. Or two, you're in a state where people would start questioning upon seeing you, being it your condition or mood or that you were doing something abnormal.

The latter seemed more suitable, considering he locked everyone out, and it was highly unlikely that Matt considered every person at the House as someone that important to him. Still, there were so many options possible, the rumors were bound to be made and sent on their travel. Some said it was something simple, like Matt had started to smoke tobacco, weed or some of the kind and was locking the doors for an obvious reason. Others said he was actually in love with Mello and was writing him letters or making phone calls, but didn't want anyone to know. Mind you, an exceptional majority of these were girls.

Anyway, the plurality said he was crying again for another reason. This was actually a really logical conclusion. Because locking the doors wasn't what caught people's attention. Locking the doors didn't shout at people's face that something was definitely wrong. What did that was seeing how vulnerable Matt was now. How upset he got about little things and how small things could get him cry and yell, and in short, get him out of balance. And really, small things. To put it short, if he lost his pen, he would go around crying and flipping out at people who supposedly stole his pen and didn't care about him or his pen, until he fell asleep.

There was the question "why" that divined people. Some said it was just a part of his puberty. Others said he was crying because of something else, something bigger and those little things just set up what was waiting to be let out. And if it only was a false call, if everything was right after all and the pen was found, Matt would turn quiet, confused, but mostly: lost. He wasn't sure how to react now. After these situations, the former or the latter, Matt usually ended up running away and locking himself into his room once again, even though less showing in the situations where the pen was found. People had said they had heard him cry afterwards.

As said, this divined people, but not much. After a while only a few could still say that it was because of his puberty while keeping their heads up proudly. There was a line between an adolescent committing insubordination and an adolescent having an acute depression level. Minus those who had completely their own ideas, usually with pretty much no support to them, the rest had their chips on Mello. Anyway, seeing that Matt in fact had an acute depression level, the capital cure was to put him to talk with someone. In other words, put him into therapy.

What was quite unexpected, even though it shouldn't have been, was that when a therapist was called over the House, others also went to talk with him. For it had been asked if some of the children wanted to visit the therapist, to draw attention from Matt. This was rather silly because surely everyone already knew he had problems and so the therapy didn't come as such a surprise. Some of those children actually had problems. Most of them wanted attention. Most were feeling left aside because of the attention the two prodigies were having. But it was expected, first the two got attention because they were the most talented, "all great and that", and now they also got attention because they had problems.

They were the best at everything, even in having problems. But those children did not have any bigger inferiority complex than that, they just saw their opportunity to be something special in someone's eyes for a change. Still on primary the subject, Matt did go to the therapist, apparently seeing he had no problems so it couldn't hurt him. And so it turned out, it really didn't affect on him. Nothing seemed to happen. Nothing changed; he was still not fine, still not any better. Except from his view. He was great from his view. And he talked to this view. He talked, he talked much, but he didn't talk about what was wrong, not as the wrong he saw them at least. He was eventually given medicines, but, as it turned out, he never took any.

_One day a boy named Tony entered Roger's office. He told that he had been drinking with Matt for some time now. Matt had been drinking to his depression, he said._

Near was never a people kind of person, even though he had people that admired him and who would have followed him anywhere if he had shown any kind of a sign that he accepted it. These days, Near was the one who wanted to follow. He followed through the whole day, to every class, to every play and to every gathering the House had, practically anywhere where there were many people around him. He needed people around him. And literally people, not a person. He would go with the flow, mainly with the people who the most obviously admired him, but would never let himself be left alone with someone. He would not let too many people leave him. No one knew what would happen if he was left alone, because he knew how to prevent that. There was never a time that everyone was alone, leave alone night time.

The fact that he was never alone, took people a great time to notice, even though probably everybody noticed that he hang around people much. But that was rather obvious, how could you not notice it, when the boy had previously preferred most of his time alone. And even now, Near did not actually enjoy connecting with people. He hanged around them, yes, but he'd rather not be taken the notice of. If he was being talked to, he would seem somewhat unsecure, hesitating his every word. You could not say Near feared, that would probably never fit him well, even though his eyes often widened in the kind of way that seemed like he was. He was doubtful, almost to the point where you could say he was paranoid, though you could never prove this since he was always rather calm and never actually accused anyone of anything, just presented questions very much suspiciously.

This also did not fit him, he used to being very straightforward and stable. The latter he never actually stopped being: even though Near was unsecure or paranoid, he would always remain calm and steady. It was an odd combination, but it was clearly possible. And since we are reasoning here, the children in the House eventually came to notice there was something wrong with Near also and came up with reasons to this. Naturally there were many different ideas, but two remained as the most popular. One, that Near had been beaten up or, as some said, raped by Mello just before he left, and he now obviously felt it was his fault and that there was something wrong with him. That would explain both the paranoia and the need to be accepted by people.

This was mangled by others, saying that Near should be more clearly shocked and Mello would never do something that. And this was answered, Near would never show if he were shocked and yes, that was something Mello would do. The options alike to this were so radical they caused a lot of fights, debates between both children and the adults. Though number two in the most popular ideas why Near was troubled was clearly less shocking to people and less problematic, and it was actually number one by popularity. The people voting for this believed it was because Near had lost his one true challenger. Hanging around people and doubtfulness were only ways to search for a challenge and insecurity was just because of the feeling he had now no purpose, which could be rather frightening.

There were other speculations, like puberty again, but then again there weren't as many of them as could have been if it was given more thought. But most didn't give it a thought, since with Near it was harder to realize there were problems. It's much easier to notice someone is doing something and thus has a problem, than that someone is doing nothing and so has a problem. And when we come to that, Near didn't do anything real. As said, he did go to every class, game and et cetera, but he only went there and that's that. He hardly paid attention in class and he didn't actually attend the games children played, just watched from the side. If he even watched, it was far more like keeping his eyes open and head up.

Puzzles or other problem solving tasks he wasn't interested in at all anymore. There were children who tried to get him to make, for an example, a puzzle with them, but he would just question their motives to ask for that from him. And that never led anywhere: even if they had come up with a suited answer for that, in the end he'd just refuse kindly. As already said before, people started to notice something was truly wrong with him rather late. And when they did, there was a shrink at the House ready for him. Near understood right away what was happening. There was something wrong with him or people thought there was something wrong with him. He understood the main idea.

The fact that there were two possible, but different ways to understand things was not left unnoticed by others. He didn't understand, people said, he didn't believe there was anything wrong with him, but the people around him who thought so. And then some said he knew he wasn't alright. He just didn't want to be saved. He didn't believe going through the process of being saved was worth the outcome. He was raped, they said, and it really didn't sound like a bad idea considering the thought. In therapy, Near was as quiet as possible and refused to cooperate. If asked any questions, he did try to answer them instead of silence, though notably differently than with the children. The answers weren't actually answers.

He said he did not wish to answer such questions for personal reasons and thought they were irrational in any circumstance. Unlike with the children, he did not question the reasons or expected outcomes, as he knew those already. That and he tried to have as little as possible mental contact with the therapist. Near did not want to tell the shrink anything personal or any of his thoughts, feelings or memories. The most far he went was to tell how the weather was outside, although he refused to tell whether he liked it or not. This went on and on, and as it became sure it wasn't going to change one bit like it was expected to, the solution was chose to be the easiest one. They decided it was depression, and put him on a course.

_On a late afternoon a boy called Chris came and told that Near had been hanging out with a group that rather often drank together. Near had been soberly keeping an eye on them, he told._


	2. Methanol

The publication of this chapter took a little bit longer than it should have because fanfiction (krhm, the site) refused to work with me. Now it seems to be okay, though I can still see a sign down there telling that "ready, but there are errors on the page"... Oh well... I feel like I should say something more now or this will be left way too empty.

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It was a very problematic situation they faced, finding out that a group of young adolescents who were, by law, not allowed to drink. Apparently this was not a new system. Matt had started a bit later than the others though, a while after Mello had left. First, it was considered to completely halt this kind of activity. It could not come to the publicity that they allowed their orphans drink and they could not let the children have any kind of brain damage, which would be even worse. But then it was brought out that it would also have very negative effects. The main fact was that even if they tried to stop it, a young group of geniuses would most likely find a way to do it secretly. All problems rooted from this.

Apparently, this group got their drinks from someone, who one of them, whose name everyone refused to tell, knew. The drinks did not come directly from this someone either, but he or she also knew someone who was believed, or hoped, to be the one who, in the end, provided these drinks, although no one knew for sure. Since the drinks came through a long way and their origin was unknown, it was very easy to question the reliability of them. This is why, when it came down to it, most voted that the House should actually get the drinks for them. After all, most of these adolescents were sixteen or fifteen, so many could not actually be considered as children anymore.

As a positive side, the House could only let them drink if they drank what they were given, making sure that they would not drink too much, too long, too often or drinks too strong for them. And it would cost them more money, since their earlier drinks had been suspiciously cheap, which would prod some of them to stop by themselves. The other problem was the placement of their little gatherings. They had been drinking on a field some mile away from the House to avoid getting caught. The current arrangement was not a good one, to be in such an unstable state, outdoors, where anyone could come to and no adult was looking after you. It was quickly stated that they could not drink in the House either, because someone from the children might find out, which would encourage them to go the same way.

So, another place was needed, as close as possible to the House. They would have to give their share for this one too, though most was paid by the orphanage, and they would be paying it by chores. As the last condition, no child under the age of fifteen was allowed to drink. Surprisingly, the group wasn't too reluctant to accept all this, after they had gotten their one condition through: they would not have an adult with them. It was very close whether it was accepted or not, but accepted anyway, since there were some seventeen year olds with them.

Of course this was not the whole deal. Accepted, as long as it was allowed for at least two adults to guard them just outside the apartment and always someone inside it who was sober and prepared to call the adults, if anything at all happened. At first, this person inside was denounced to be Near, which was truly not a bad decision, if only he hadn't been in such a depressed condition. So rather peacefully, the ones suitable for the job, decided to take turns. Now the only thing left unsolved was Matt. It was not seen as very healthy for him to drink to his depression, more making it worse. It was wondered, if forcing him not to drink would drive the depressed boy to run away, as he was very vulnerable to everything and he might consider this as discrimination.

This would not lead to anywhere, as they could not let him out while he was like that, and he would probably just find another place to drink. He could not be separated from drinking without solving the cause to it, and there obviously was a cause. Besides, Matt wasn't an alcoholic. According to others, he only drank when they did. He had no addiction to drinking, he just didn't want to miss the fun. All they could really do was to take the pills away from him, although Matt had never even taken those, but just to be sure.

_Later, Tony returned, but this time he dragged another boy along with him, Maxxie, who he had a small disagreement with. Maxxie believed that when Matt had started drinking, he was everything but depressed._

Near's situation did not change. The psychologist was not moving anywhere with him, except Near was very much willing to take his medication, but that could be considered as much as progress as well as backfiring. He wanted there to be a shortcut for his cure and he didn't want to solve the problem there obviously was. Or then he was so desperate he didn't think anyone could save him from this, though that did not add with Near's refusal to talk, since he could have still told what the problem was. Unless of course, he was trying to drive everyone into a corner where there was no other choice but to give him drugs. Only clue to him was the fact that he had been wandering with people who were obviously drunk, apparently watching out for them.

And that hit a dead end almost too fast: after going through the group, it turned out Near wasn't really looking after them anymore. He had stopped that at the same time as he had got depressed in and instead started to just "sit around places" doing nothing. Also, according to these same people, Near had not drank once in his life. Finally with this, there was a breakthrough. One day in therapy, he was once again questioned about the events on those nights. He responded in his usual way, completely avoiding of telling anything that wasn't clearly asked, couldn't be considered as an opinion or had something to do with him. Eventually it came to drinking.

He was asked if he approved their drinking. Near dodged the question with his regular style. He was asked why he himself didn't drink. Near replied with an incoherent question. He was asked if drinking was any good. Near noted that alcohol might damage your brain. Here became the prominent sentence: he added that Mello did not allow drinking. Seemingly this didn't mean anything, but this was the first time that, in months, Near had uttered a new subject by himself. This one humble sentence spread through the House like an electric shock. Everyone knew the famous line and knew it was important, even though there were those who honestly did not understand what was so special about it, but they did not bring out their opinions being afraid of looking like an idiot.

However, what made the statement even more rousing, was that it was about someone. Someone that so conveniently happened to be Mello. Mello, who was Near's number one rival, after who's departure Near had become depressed and who he appeared to _like_ despite of everything. To put it short, girls went wild with ideas. Like is not a very strong word, but it is somewhat unwavering. As is dislike. If anyone generally neutral would have been asked, they would have said Mello disliked Near and Near approved Mello. Near saw Mello as interesting, but Near knew he was more intelligent. Mello saw Near as overpowering, and Mello did not want to be just one of the puzzle pieces.

Matt on the other hand was more of Mello's friend, but they couldn't be called exactly "best friends". They had some kind of an understanding and they got along, but Mello had his own friends and Matt had his. Matt and Near weren't connected in any way other except that they were hanging around the same place at nighttime and had been seen talking a few times. That was pretty much all they had in common besides Mello and the fact that they had both developed a depression at the same did a bit later, but because the change was more sudden than with Matt, their depressions were "complete" at the same time.

Even though Near's melancholy was harder to notice, coming up with hindsight, you could clearly see that one day he was okay, the other day he wasn't. And because the only remarkable place tying the two together was that shady field and because so many little angels had already come out as not so that innocent, it was almost impossible to completely ignore the suggestion that perhaps there were more than alcohol moving around among the orphans of the House. Perhaps there were drugs too.

_Almost as if in passing, Chris happened to mention that Matt and Near were actually talked to each other pretty often than thought. He was certain they were more of like friends._

Matt had always refused to tell when exactly he began drinking, saying he didn't remember, but it was certainly after Mello left. The start was considered as quite natural. For two reasons, depending on who you ask. Alcohol was not a new thing to Matt, as he had been hanging around the field already before he started drinking and before Mello made his departure. The decision that consuming alcohol would be alright was obviously fueled by this departure. The added theories for this, first, he had been drinking to ease the depression of losing someone, and second, because he was replacing that same someone with something, something like a new activity.

Basically, the second option was that after none of his time was spent with Mello anymore, since they did hang out at times solving some riddles or brain-games, he felt like he could start a new hobby to replace the old one. And seeing how thrilling drinking can be, he started doing it more often. It had nothing to do with his depression. This was practically crushed by the supporters of the former view, stating that there was no way he started drinking as a hobby and Mello didn't even require so much time that he needed something to make up for it. Matt had obviously lost someone dear to him, romantically or non-romantically, and he was sad and trying to make himself feel better.

However, the push in the right way came from an unexpected direction: Near. Near, who was considered, even depressed, the most likely to be correct. Until then, it had not been sure if Mello drank or not. Some said he drank more than anyone, almost every night, and then some said he was so vain he would never risk his precious brains, which he actually had a reason to be vain about. It had not been revealed where these common ideas came from, but if anyone, Near knew the truth. "Mello did not approve drinking". With enough enquiry, it was revealed that Mello did not approve drinking not only on his behalf, but not even those around him.

Shortly, if you wanted to be in Mello's gang, you could not drink. Apparently, this was also forbidden from Matt, who wasn't even in Mello's group, possibly showing that Matt did not mind too much whether he drank or not or Mello had him convinced that alcohol could do much damage to his brains. Although, Mello could have just as easily told him not to drink, no arguments accepted. Whether it was either of those options, the solution was, Matt started drinking right after Mello left. Maybe it was the new sense of freedom, maybe because he was finally able to or maybe he was just having a revenge on Mello, but he was drinking nonetheless.

Then suddenly it became very probable that Matt was not drinking because he was depressed, but he was depressed because he was drinking. There were many people who declared they had seen Matt fall into a gloomy state right after Mello left. But there were a few ones who claimed that they had seen the boy all normal and cheerful and these people seemed to have fewer holes in their stories and it wasn't hindsight they realized how the other was feeling. For, most of the stories that said he had been melancholic always started with "now that I think about it". There were fresh researches studying the effects of drinking. It was shown that for some people, both old and young, alcohol itself might be the cause of depression.

Matt appeared to be one of these people. He had never talked about his problems and in the end it turned out he didn't even know what they were. The situation was explained to Matt, who naturally couldn't understand it. Truly he knew that it was just as he was told, but he couldn't believe it could happen to him. He didn't want to stop drinking. Everybody else got to have the fun, but he couldn't because his genes decided that he was to fall deep into melancholy if he did. He found it unfair. He refused at first, but he didn't have a choice anyway.

Telling him to stop was not effective since day one. Putting cameras to follow him did not prevent him from taking shots every once in a while before anyone could get to him. And after he was locked in his room at 11 pm precise and was only let out after 6 am, he could be seen wandering around the House, obviously wasted. So after all these unsuccessful attempts, he ended up being put into a strict surveillance. Cameras were hidden all around in his room and otherwise there were two men hired to lead him everywhere except classes, the other at nights and the other in daytime. They also wore earphones all the time so they could always merge in when the situation required it.

Matt had gotten away from the shrink when it had been deduced the problem was alcohol and alcohol only. But now was also sent back. It was figured there really had to be a problem after all because of Matt's great resistance to being clear. He wasn't really an alcoholic, it was more of a mental problem than physical. He wanted to rebel, but he didn't have any withdrawal symptoms. The only answer he agreed to give was still that he didn't want to miss out the fun. He however had no other option but to stop drinking.

This seemed to get him into another kind of a depression, where he was quiet and just sad a lot. Also, he started to smoke. This was approved only for him to do, none of the other kids. Someone had made a suggestion that he needed something that was "bad for him" and that was allowed for him only, since everybody else was allowed to drink alcohol. It helped and even though he was still rather miserable, he also seemed to be on his way to a slow recovery.

_Maxxie first declared when he came inside the office that Chris wasn't completely honest before, as he also knew Matt had kissed Near multiple times. Though, he made it clear not the other way around._


	3. Xylitol

Well, this is the last part. Yays :) Anyways, English is not my mother language (which you have most likely noticed by now) and the education that I've been given does not expect me to write my own stories in the language in question, so I think it's a reason for me to reconsider doing these kinds of things. However... I do not regret writing this ;) I think with every little preposition gone wrong (I especially suck with prepositions x) ), it was worth it. Now go, be energetic and write a review!

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Near did not talk more about Mello later on. When asked about him, he returned to his earlier responses, informing that Mello was a former resident of the House, but he was not to share other facts about him. When asked about Matt, he gave a similar answer as to the question before, the difference where Matt still lived there. He was also asked if either was a friend of his, but with no luck. Near was pestered about Matt these days even more and more. They appeared to become even more notably connected the more was revealed. As it came to the conclusion Matt's depression was caused by alcohol, it made things even stranger.

When Near and Matt's relationship to one another was brought forth, added with them bagging their disorders at the same time, it had been assumed that their depression had the same cause. However, Near did no drink, that was completely sure by now, though it did have a truly small chance they both had got the intendancy to get depressed by the work of alcohol. It wasn't really a surprise Near refused to refer to Matt as anything other than a housemate. Matt on the other hand had confirmed that they in fact did talk quite often. He gave his slow acceptance to them being friends, stating that above all it was what they were. Near did not react to this information.

It almost came to the point where whatever match they had had would be labeled as just a coincidence. That was until it turned out they were not just friends, but had also had some intimate collisions. It was such a breakthrough it made absolutely everyone, involved in the matter or not, feel like a winner. For even though the case was nearly not solved yet, it was the first actual movement forwards in Near's case. It was the first thing that Near reacted to in months. When shown that his and Matt's secret had come out, Near's eyes visibly widened, if only the littlest bit, and he almost immediately retorted, asking who had told that. After that he didn't speak at all anymore. And right after the current therapy session ended, he locked himself into his room, staying there for nearly the whole following week and only coming out at nighttime to eat.

At this time, Matt was the centre of attention. Even though the truth about their relationship's nature was most likely the most drama-like piece of the whole depression saga, it was the information slowest to actually leak out. Which was really quite unexpected as it was also the most widely beforehand known piece. Apparently, it was not a secret to the people who used to hang on the field or now at the apartment, for it was where they shared these moments. However, there was a mutual agreement that it was not something to be talked about. No one gave any reasons, but it was probably because everyone had their share of stupidity done at that place. For a very, very long time, no one but they and the highest staff knew about it. But it was bound to change sooner or later. How it leaked out of this circle was a mystery, but when it did, it was like a bomb setting off.

It was quite possible it reached everyone and all inside one hour. People were shocked and some people were excited. The minority seemed to suspect that it was about both being gay for the two top prodigies. The key words for the majority were "top prodigies". Most were certain that they just needed each other. That they felt like they could only ever level with, only love, each other. Although, they were missing an important factor from their deduction: Near was currently locked up in his room, by his own choice. Possibly escaping the therapy, possibly the gossip he knew was going to fly around, who knew. But so it all came to Matt being the only source of information. He was rather awkward with the subject, but could provide the main facts. To the therapist of course, towards others he was just grouchy.

First of all, it always happened when Matt was drunk. He only shrugged when he was being accused of wanting to be intoxicated all the time because of that. He also said that every time he was the one who started the kisses, but he assured he wasn't forcing Near. He added a tad shyly that Near did respond. Strangely enough, he revealed that the reason for them having no other romantic relationship outside of it was that after the first night it had happened Near had told him to forget it, saying Matt was not sober and it didn't mean anything. Then it just kept on happening. It was like Near was the drunk one, doing foolish things and regretting them later. Matt was gloomy now for an apparent reason. In any case, Near was also needed to solve the mystery, so for now they could not help but wait if he calmed down.

And he did, after that week, as neither running nor hiding was going to help him. At first, he didn't utter a word. Sometimes he nodded, shook his head or shrugged, but speak he did not. It didn't go on for too long though. Eventually he just broke down, just like that, after the hundredth time he was being inquired if Matt had kissed him. His voice was that small, significant tad louder as he proclaimed that he had not been kissed, not by anyone. And he didn't want to be kissed. Never. Ever. He did not want to be kissed and he did not want to kiss, he just didn't. This the young genius repeated so long it sounded like he was talking to himself. He was more assuring himself than anyone.

It was quite obvious he had been kissed and he appeared to be rather shaken by it. Most likely he was feeling violated. Which meant that Matt had lied, because if Near felt violated when he kissed him, why would he keep on responding? It was of course possible that he was scared of refusing. And from Matt's point of view, Near was more like eager, but it was very likely that he was too drunk to notice him hesitating. By law drunkenness was no excuse, but Matt was still underage and it was certain he didn't mean it to happen. However, it was seen as best for Near that they'd be separated from each other at all times. Matt's smoking increased.

_Now all three, Tony, Maxxie and Chris, stomped into the office, complaining that things were now even worse for Near. They all confirmed that Near was positively head over heels for Matt._

It of course wasn't an immediate healing they had expected after separating the two. But they had not expected both to completely shut down because of it. Matt had been a little bit more predictable, his last remarkable words being "he doesn't love me" and then he losing all of his willpower, lingering around the House like he had just been beaten up. Near's face showed no emotion when he was let known about the arrangement and he didn't say anything, not at the time, not after it. Matt had always made a very big display whenever something was wrong with him and then again Near had the tendency to do rather drastic transitions as an interplay to his problems. So if it had been expected for them to have negative reactions towards it, they would have acted just by those predictions.

Matt returned to the state he was in when he used to drink, but this time he gifted everyone with the information he would possibly and also most likely die in heartbreak. Although his tone of voice never lacked any gravity, his situation was labeled as a teenager's first love and separation and he was assumed to recover soon. At a time, some came to accuse him of falling for alcohol again, for the sole fact that he was quite like he had been before, but his surveillance had yet to be lessened. Matt sinking into melancholy was a surprise to no one, true, but for it to last this strong for so long, that was a slight. Only a few though had foreseen that something was coming for Near too, and even those had taken that aspect not so surely. Near didn't utter a word. It was his own decision and as so, he never sidestepped it. He just did not speak. For obvious reasons, he didn't tell why.

There was of course the fact that he had proven to be rather bendy into believing that no one could help him, so it was now too as the number one suspicion. Near didn't do useless things and how it seemed, he appeared to believe that he was now in a thoroughly hopeless situation. He had even less hope than he had had before. There was no use in speaking anymore. Then again, some said he was afraid of speaking. Maybe he found the situation embarrassing. Hardly anyone of course expected him being ashamed of having a relationship like that with a boy, since quite positively Near's thoughts run beyond that, beyond caring about such simple details. Despite this, it was probably the most popular thought that first came into people's mind, only to be denied.

But moving on, showing affection was a whole different story. He didn't exactly mind what people thought, but as previously mentioned, he was afraid of speaking in particular. He didn't want to be forced to tell how the "great first" fall for a mere human. He'd easily let others have their opinions on it as long as he didn't have to be the one to talk. Though these were only assumptions, no one knew anything for sure since Near still didn't talk. Solving the problem usually requires getting to the bottom of it. Never before had they used joined therapy with Matt and Near. Mostly because after they became connected it was deduced that Near was traumatized by Matt. But as Near did not talk, Matt was depressed and all this was obviously because they had been separated, it became a serious suggestion.

Solving the problem between them required for them both to interact with each other. However, nothing was going to be done on that region unless Near was hundredth percent sure he was okay with it. It was a certainty that if he refused, the matter would be completely forgotten and Matt would not even be told about it. It was obvious that at this point, people were waiting for a refusal or an acceptance, with or without making a sound. But Near never was the type to follow expectations, whether he did it on purpose or not. With the aspect of meeting Matt face to face after the longest time, he threw a fit, in the kind of Near, calm way. He started talking. At first it was only obscure mumbling to himself, but after a while it got louder and it seemed he was now more or less speaking to the shrink.

Through disjointed sentences, his story seemed to be slowly forming itself. He stated that, yes, he had been kissed by Matt, but Matt had never kissed him. Which, at the beginning, appeared to make absolutely no sense at all. But as he continued, he proved to be having a clear thought behind this. He was under the impression he was being used by Matt as a replacement to someone else. Matt was kissing him, but not really, because he was aiming for someone else. Thus, Near was being taken the advantage of, his self was being violated. He did not say who this other was when it was guessed to be Mello, for he said that it didn't matter. The only thing that did was that he wasn't that someone.

And with that sentence and the pure sadness the psychiatrist claimed to have seen in him, the idea was accepted. Near definitely was "head over heels" for Matt. The latter, Matt, was now the one with an open case, although for most of the time it had been the other way around. No one could really tell if Near had been correct, if Matt indeed had been using him. At the very moment, he could have been truly brooding over loss of that someone other, but now in the form of another person, which was Near. Not that it couldn't have been a misunderstanding. Matt was drunk every time he had made a move on him, so Near might have easily built the whole idea solely on that matter.

And so they were caught in a treadmill, as Matt felt he couldn't kiss Near unless he was drunk, because Near had forbidden it after the first time it had happened. To get a confirmation, it was necessary to listen to Matt's side of the story. No one had really succeeded to follow the line of the case before, so no one was daring to wait for the suggestions to be right anymore. Which is why it was a common "wow" when the last part actually proved to be exactly how it had been speculated to be. Near and Matt had had such a simple misunderstanding and yet it eventually drove them both to very much problematic depressions. Both of them now obviously liked each other in a more of a romantic way. And they both had thought that the other did not.

When the clearance of the situation had been first started, it had definitely not been the original plan to end up with a dating service. But since it seemed to be the easiest way to finally solve it and, to add, almost everyone craved to see, if this could finally be a success at making the prodigies content. However, it was uncertain if there was something else still behind it that had yet to be revealed. Because of this, they could not be left talking all alone. And on the other hand, if it didn't hinder it, then it would at least be rude to interfere with the reconciliation. Thus, the familiar way of doing things was welcomed once again and the cameras were brought out. Matt and Near were truly going to talk, to solve things out.

_There was a period of time after Mello left that nothing was right between the two top prodigies in the House. One could say they were depressed. Yet the cause was not really Mello, even though Mello's departure had given the push for what lead to their depression. For them to want to recover, it took one conversation and four separate kisses. For them to fully recover, it took a week and tens as many conversations and kisses. Someone should have at some point realized that if there's a force to strike a genius down, it would be love. And to strike two geniuses down, it would be mutual love._


End file.
